Bill Harley, Richard Walton among new R.I. Music Hall of Fame members

Friday

Feb 12, 2016 at 1:47 PM

Rockers The Young Adults, bandleader Frankie Carle and disc jockey Carl Henry are also among the 8 inductees.

Andy Smith Journal Arts Writer asmith651

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Eight new inductees into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, including Bill Harley, Richard Walton and The Young Adults, were announced at a press conference Friday at the Hall of Fame site inside the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket.

This year's induction events and concerts will take place over three days, April 21, April 24 and April 30, at three different locations.

The 2016 inductees are:

-- Jazz sax player Greg Abate, whose career has included stints with Ray Charles and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Under his own name, Abate has released nearly two dozen albums, collaborating with Phil Woods, Kenny Barron, Claudio Roditi and many more.

-- Frankie Carle, who wrote "Sunrise Serenade" for Glenn Miller, played with Horace Heidt's popular band in the 1940s, and went on to conduct his own big band, which had two number one hits in 1946. Even after the big-band era ended, Carle released a series of popular instrumental albums.

-- Singer/songwriter/storyteller Bill Harley, equally adept at children's music and adult fare. He won two Grammys as a children's performer, in 2007 and 2009, and has also found success as an author and commentator on National Public Radio. He's one of the founders of the Stone Soup Coffeehouse in Rhode Island.

-- Carl Henry, a pioneering disc jockey who helped introduce Rhode Island to rock 'n roll, thanks to his radio shows on WRIB and WPAW. His record store, Carl's Diggins, was open from 1952 to 1985 and served as a key resource for local music fans.

-- Raymond "Sugar Ray" Norcia, a blues singer, harmonica player and and band leader who's been a key figure on the Rhode Island blues scene since the 1970s. He formed the Bluetones in 1979. The group went on hiatus when Norcia joined Roomful of Blues from 1991 to 1998, but after leaving Roomful, Norcia reconvened the Bluetones, joined by guitarist Monster Mike Welch in 2002.

-- Jazz singer Carol Sloane, who started her professional career in 1951. After appearances at the Village Vanguard in New York and the Newport Jazz Festival, she released her first solo album in 1962, and has recorded more than 20 albums since.

-- Richard Walton, well-known in Rhode Island as a writer and social activist. He had a lifelong love of music, and was a key figure in the Stone Soup Coffeehouse, serving as the first president of the Stone Soup Folk Arts Foundation.

-- The Young Adults, Fabulous Motels and Bruce "Rudy Cheeks" McCrae, entering the Hall of Fame together. In the '70s, the Motels and the Adults were key parts of the state's rock scene, with a mix of musical prowess and twisted lyrics. Both bands included McCrae, Dave "Sport Fisher" Hansen and Jeff Shore.

This year's jazz inductions, honoring Abate, Carle, and Sloan, will be April 21 at Chan's, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, at 7 p.m.

The main induction and concert will be at The Met, 999 Main St., Pawtucket, on April 24 at 2 p.m. It will include performances by The Young Adults, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, and Bill Harley.

On April 30 at 2 p.m., Harley will present a family show at the Blackstone River Theatre.